Thread Herrings by Lea Wait is the seventh story in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie Curtis is the manager of Mainely Needlepoint in Haven Harbor, Maine. Angie is accompanying her friend, Sarah Byrne to an auction in Augusta. Angie has not been to an auction previously and is looking forward to the experience. Angie is intrigued by a half-finished vintage framed needlepoint coat of arms that is not in the best condition and she spontaneously bids on it when none of the other participants show interest. At home, Angie removes the needlework from the frame and finds a pale silk blue embroidered ribbon along with receipt from the London Foundling Hospital dated October 26, 1757 for a child baptized Charles. Angie wants to learn more about the coat of arms and the child, but she is unsuccessful at the Maine Historical Society. She has lunch with Clem Walker, friend and television reporter, who suggests doing a human interest feature and appeal to the public for information. Instead of receiving helpful material, both ladies receive death threats. Soon Clem is found shot dead in car in Haven Harbor and Angie's car goes boom injuring someone close to her. Angie goes into hiding, but she this does not deter her from investigating. Can she identify the culprit before he finds her?
Thread Herrings can be read alone if you have not indulged in any of the previous novels in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie goes to her first auction and her friend, Sarah kindly explains auction protocol. Since I have not been to an auction, I found it interesting. I had no idea there was a buyer's premium added to the hammer price (winning bid). I could tell the author did her research on the London Foundling Hospital, land patents or grants, the billet or receipt for the child and mementoes parents left behind as identifiers (to later claim the child). Lea Wait incorporated the information in a way that made it easy to understand. Ruth Hopkins helps Angie with genealogy research, but we see very little of the other Mainely Needlepoint group. Patrick West is in town and Angie hides out in his finely appointed carriage house. Personally, I am not a fan of Patrick and I keep hoping they will break up. Patrick comes across as superficial (especially when he was discussing the yacht that could only sleep eight). Angie needs a partner with more depth and who is interested in sleuthing. The mystery plays out with clues interspersed up to the reveal. Angie must solve the mystery via phone since she is unable to go out in public which is a unique way of investigating the crime. Readers are unable to play along and solve this whodunit. I could have done without the frequent (I stopped counting after six) mentions of Angie's gun (a Glock). Angie does manage to indulge in cooking, dining out friends (before the death threats), drinking fine wine, playing with Trixi (her kitten), watch movies, handle business details and check in with Gram. As the action heats up in Thread Herrings, you will find yourself riveted. You cannot help but keep reading to discover how the story plays out.
Thread Herrings can be read alone if you have not indulged in any of the previous novels in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie goes to her first auction and her friend, Sarah kindly explains auction protocol. Since I have not been to an auction, I found it interesting. I had no idea there was a buyer's premium added to the hammer price (winning bid). I could tell the author did her research on the London Foundling Hospital, land patents or grants, the billet or receipt for the child and mementoes parents left behind as identifiers (to later claim the child). Lea Wait incorporated the information in a way that made it easy to understand. Ruth Hopkins helps Angie with genealogy research, but we see very little of the other Mainely Needlepoint group. Patrick West is in town and Angie hides out in his finely appointed carriage house. Personally, I am not a fan of Patrick and I keep hoping they will break up. Patrick comes across as superficial (especially when he was discussing the yacht that could only sleep eight). Angie needs a partner with more depth and who is interested in sleuthing. The mystery plays out with clues interspersed up to the reveal. Angie must solve the mystery via phone since she is unable to go out in public which is a unique way of investigating the crime. Readers are unable to play along and solve this whodunit. I could have done without the frequent (I stopped counting after six) mentions of Angie's gun (a Glock). Angie does manage to indulge in cooking, dining out friends (before the death threats), drinking fine wine, playing with Trixi (her kitten), watch movies, handle business details and check in with Gram. As the action heats up in Thread Herrings, you will find yourself riveted. You cannot help but keep reading to discover how the story plays out.
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Thread Herrings is the seventh installment in the Mainely Needlepoint series featuring Angie Curtis and set in the small town of Heavenly Harbor, ME. Things are quiet in February so Angie agrees to accompany best friend and antique shop owner, Sarah Byrne to an estate auction in neighboring Augusta.
Fascinated by a variety of needlework both Sarah and Angie bid on a few items with Angie taking home a faded, half finished Coat of Arms. Upon getting the piece home Angie disassembles the frame and discovers a folded paper receipt and accompanying billet for a boy named Charles who had been left at the London Foundling Hospital in 1757. Realizing that there isn't much she can do to repair the needlework, Angie decides to learn more about the baby boy and his parentage.
A subsequent trip to the Maine Historical Society proves uninformative, so Angie stops in to visit her high school classmate and Portland TV reporter, Clem Walker. Upon hearing the story Clem convinces Angie to do a short segment on the local news in hopes that someone might recognize the story of the Coat of Arms. That evening, immediately after the news airs, both Clem and Angie begin receiving death threats - someone is determined to stop them from discovering who Charles was.
Within a few days, Clem has been murdered, someone has blown up Angie's car, and strange people are lurking in Haven Harbor trying to find Angie. On the advice of Pete Lambert, Haven Harbor's Police Chief and State Police Officer Ethan Trask, Angie agrees to move in temporarily with boyfriend Patrick West behind the locked gates of the West compound.
Determined to try and solve the mystery but unable to leave the house, Angie relies on a couple of the Mainely Needlepoint workers for background and genealogical discovery. The author has done quite a bit of research regarding needlepoint and embroidery and historical snippets once again start each chapter, the workings of Foundling Hospitals are explained in detail, and a brief description of auction protocol is included.
I am not a fan of Patrick, and sorry to say but I still did not warm up to his character after this latest installment. I was also disappointed that there was not much interaction with the Mainely Needlepoint workers, and only brief conversations between Angie and her grandmother. All in all fast paced story line and well developed plot that will leave series readers happy and looking for the next installment.
Fascinated by a variety of needlework both Sarah and Angie bid on a few items with Angie taking home a faded, half finished Coat of Arms. Upon getting the piece home Angie disassembles the frame and discovers a folded paper receipt and accompanying billet for a boy named Charles who had been left at the London Foundling Hospital in 1757. Realizing that there isn't much she can do to repair the needlework, Angie decides to learn more about the baby boy and his parentage.
A subsequent trip to the Maine Historical Society proves uninformative, so Angie stops in to visit her high school classmate and Portland TV reporter, Clem Walker. Upon hearing the story Clem convinces Angie to do a short segment on the local news in hopes that someone might recognize the story of the Coat of Arms. That evening, immediately after the news airs, both Clem and Angie begin receiving death threats - someone is determined to stop them from discovering who Charles was.
Within a few days, Clem has been murdered, someone has blown up Angie's car, and strange people are lurking in Haven Harbor trying to find Angie. On the advice of Pete Lambert, Haven Harbor's Police Chief and State Police Officer Ethan Trask, Angie agrees to move in temporarily with boyfriend Patrick West behind the locked gates of the West compound.
Determined to try and solve the mystery but unable to leave the house, Angie relies on a couple of the Mainely Needlepoint workers for background and genealogical discovery. The author has done quite a bit of research regarding needlepoint and embroidery and historical snippets once again start each chapter, the workings of Foundling Hospitals are explained in detail, and a brief description of auction protocol is included.
I am not a fan of Patrick, and sorry to say but I still did not warm up to his character after this latest installment. I was also disappointed that there was not much interaction with the Mainely Needlepoint workers, and only brief conversations between Angie and her grandmother. All in all fast paced story line and well developed plot that will leave series readers happy and looking for the next installment.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
I've enjoyed Lea Wait's Mainely Needlepoint cozy series from the beginning. I've painlessly learned a lot about Maine through these books-- from its fascinating history to its landscape and weather to the customs of present-day Mainers. And I am happy to announce, Thread Herrings is the best of the series so far.
I loved the reminder of how much fun attending auctions can be, and I can imagine many other readers being tempted to attend their first one from Wait's description of Angie's experience at the beginning of the book. But the one thing that takes center stage in Thread Herrings is the mystery. Angie's friend is shot to death on her way to meet Angie at a local restaurant. From strangers asking locals where she lives to death threats by email and other means, it's clear to see that Angie's life is well and truly in danger and Wait skillfully ratchets up the suspense (and the need to read faster to make sure Angie doesn't come to harm).
And guess what? Wait doesn't create this palpable tension by having Angie do something stupid! I can't tell you how refreshing that is. Angie gets a bad case of cabin fever, but when the local and state police tell her to stay put and stay inside, she does it-- and the book is still scary and suspenseful. (There are authors who need to make note of this because I'm not the only reader who can't stand characters who are TSTL-- Too Stupid To Live.)
The reveal at the end of Thread Herrings is a satisfying one, and now I have to settle down and wait for the next installment. It can't come fast enough for me.
I loved the reminder of how much fun attending auctions can be, and I can imagine many other readers being tempted to attend their first one from Wait's description of Angie's experience at the beginning of the book. But the one thing that takes center stage in Thread Herrings is the mystery. Angie's friend is shot to death on her way to meet Angie at a local restaurant. From strangers asking locals where she lives to death threats by email and other means, it's clear to see that Angie's life is well and truly in danger and Wait skillfully ratchets up the suspense (and the need to read faster to make sure Angie doesn't come to harm).
And guess what? Wait doesn't create this palpable tension by having Angie do something stupid! I can't tell you how refreshing that is. Angie gets a bad case of cabin fever, but when the local and state police tell her to stay put and stay inside, she does it-- and the book is still scary and suspenseful. (There are authors who need to make note of this because I'm not the only reader who can't stand characters who are TSTL-- Too Stupid To Live.)
The reveal at the end of Thread Herrings is a satisfying one, and now I have to settle down and wait for the next installment. It can't come fast enough for me.
